One-Footers

What would inspire a rider to leave their back foot unfettered, free to kick or slip or twist into all kinds of bone-breaking or knee-buckling or season-ending contortions? Seems kind of masochistic to us. More shock and awe than truly awesome, right? It makes you wonder: Why the one-footer?

“To tell you the truth, I always thought of a one-footer as a type of ‘circus-trick,’ the kind of thing you do when you’re trying to impress your buddies or the judges at a big-air competition,” says original gangster one-footer Josh Dirksen. “But more recently, I think they have become a huge part of snowboarding. I mean, how could you not love Nicolas Muller’s backside-seven one-footed chicken wing? It’s definitely a big step up from your average ‘circus trick.'”

True.

And the photos that found their way to TransWorld this year are further proof that the one-footer isn’t as wacky as once thought.

One-foot fanatic Tadashi Fuse agrees, adding, “It expands the fun I can have.” So it seems the real question is: Why not the one-footer?

“Just go out and try it, but be careful,” says Stephan Maurer. “Start small and take it easy, and I promise you will have fun like it was your first day riding.”-L.G.

1. Stephan Maurer’s October 2007 Cover, Avoriaz France.

2. Not far from where this photo was framed, Terje blasted 9.8 meters out of a quarterpipe to break the world record at last winter’s Arctic Challenge. Here, the Sprocking Cat proves that he’s equally capable on organic trannies and still willing to take it to the small stuff in Lofoten, Norway.Photo: Frode Sandbech

3. Tadashi Fuse is no new-comer to riding one-footed. You might remember his TWS cover from last year’s October issue. Tadashi’s advice for fledgling one-footers: “Make sure you have a stomp pad and stay low. It is all about how you take off the jump. I just try to not catch an edge-or else it’s disastrous!” Tokyo, Japan.Photo: Adam Moran

5. At first glance this photo might appear to be just another late-night mini-shred session. But, considering it was shot in Interior B.C., Sylvain Bourbousson probably spent the better part of his day neck deep in British Columbia blower. And yet the young Frenchman was still inspired enough to unstrap one and ollie a saw horse during the eleventh hour. Must be something to this one-footed shredding craze.Photo: Mark Gallup

6. The restrictive nature of our bindings has always set us snowboarders apart from our sideways sliding brethren in the surf and skate tribes. Our feet aren’t free to move and at times style is compromised. Such is not the case with this benihana-esque bomb drop by Chris Grenier in a Colorado ghost town. Skate-style or die.Photo: Andy Wright/Keep Talkin’

7. When properly employed, a one-footer can add just enough booyah to an otherwise run-of-the-mill bomb-drop and make the shit legit. Jake Coia putting the extreme back in extremity in the Breckenridge frontcountry.Photo: Scott Serfas